you missed the point.
Your ability to program a game is not a marker for your ability to design one.
There wouldn't be a job 'visionary' or even a 'lead designer' or 'director' if what you said was really true.
Think of it this way... Some directors can act.. most can't. They can't do set design, or make up. Hell.. They might not even be able to do camera work. They direct. That is what they are good at.
Suggesting that the only way to get enough respect to be able to direct a movie is by being an actor, would be met with ridicule.
Why is it not in regards to games?
In regards to being a lead designer. I have academic expirence. I was the lead designer for 2 5 week mod classes.. It may not mean much.... which is unfortunate.
One of those mods was an RPG conversion of Warcraft 3. Which we made it through about 50% of the first 90% of the process. (the last 10% can be called the second 90%)
Let me repeat that. I inspired a team of 7 people, with skill ranging from incompetent to novice, to convert warcraft 3 into a turnbased RPG. Complete with random battles, some of the menu, all of the story (but you can't really get to it all) and some of the worst level design I've ever seen... In 5 weeks... really 4, since the first and last few days were toss-a-way.
www.dampes8n.com/FON_V_1-11.zip is what we ended up with... getting it to work right might take some doing, but it should kinda-work if you load up chapter 1 and walk around.. you'll get into some battles.
Your ability to program a game is not a marker for your ability to design one.
There wouldn't be a job 'visionary' or even a 'lead designer' or 'director' if what you said was really true.
Think of it this way... Some directors can act.. most can't. They can't do set design, or make up. Hell.. They might not even be able to do camera work. They direct. That is what they are good at.
Suggesting that the only way to get enough respect to be able to direct a movie is by being an actor, would be met with ridicule.
Why is it not in regards to games?
In regards to being a lead designer. I have academic expirence. I was the lead designer for 2 5 week mod classes.. It may not mean much.... which is unfortunate.
One of those mods was an RPG conversion of Warcraft 3. Which we made it through about 50% of the first 90% of the process. (the last 10% can be called the second 90%)
Let me repeat that. I inspired a team of 7 people, with skill ranging from incompetent to novice, to convert warcraft 3 into a turnbased RPG. Complete with random battles, some of the menu, all of the story (but you can't really get to it all) and some of the worst level design I've ever seen... In 5 weeks... really 4, since the first and last few days were toss-a-way.
www.dampes8n.com/FON_V_1-11.zip is what we ended up with... getting it to work right might take some doing, but it should kinda-work if you load up chapter 1 and walk around.. you'll get into some battles.